Method and apparatus for deflecting liquid from a foundation wall

ABSTRACT

Rain water is deflected from the foundation wall of a building structure by a flashing of non-ferrous metal that is fastened to the foundation below the grade level of the soil. Soil is trenched and exposed about the foundation. Multiple sections of foundation flashing are installed in the trench around the perimeter of the foundation wall. Adjacent flashing sections overlap in a continuous manner. After installation, the trench is backfilled with soil thereby covering the flashing and restoring grade. During heavy rains or floods, water seeping into the soil is deflected away from the foundation by the flashing. This prevents water from pooling at the bottom of the foundation and seeping up into the structure through the joint where the foundation meets the basement floor.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This is a divisional application of application Ser. No. 11/199,794, filed Aug. 9, 2005.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is concerned with a method and apparatus for deflecting liquid from a foundation wall. Specifically, the present invention is concerned with a flashing fastened to a foundation wall that deflects liquids from the wall and a method for installing the flashing.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Any structure having a basement or a floor located below ground level, such as a residential dwelling, has the potential of having liquids or groundwater seep up through the joint between the foundation wall and the basement floor should the ground water level rise above the elevation of the basement floor.

Typically, the cause of the rise of ground water level is due to excessive rains saturating the soil surrounding the foundation. Aggravating factors such as having soil graded toward the foundation, as opposed to being graded away, guide water toward the foundation. If the water is not directed away from the foundation, it will often migrate down the foundation wall and then seep up through the joint between the foundation wall and basement floor thereby introducing water into the basement. This is not desirable as water will often spoil or damage any material sitting or laying on the basement floor.

It is known to install weeping tile around the foundation perimeter which serves to collect excessive groundwater and direct it toward a storm sewer system. While the cost of installing weeping tile is not great when the structure is first being built and prior to any landscaping being done around the structure, the cost of installing weeping tile around a structure after being built and landscaped can be excessive. Installing weeping tile in these circumstances requires the ground around the foundation wall to be trenched down to the bottom of the wall in order to properly prepare the soil for the weeping tile installation. The cost is further increased by the repair and restoration of the landscaping surrounding the structure required after the weeping tile has been installed.

It is, therefore, desirable to have a method and apparatus for deflecting liquid from a foundation wall that is nearly as effective as, but less expensive than, installing weeping tile.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

The present invention is concerned with a method and apparatus for deflecting liquid, such as water, from a foundation wall such as concrete basement walls.

The apparatus consists of a flashing made of a non-ferrous material, preferably aluminum. The flashing includes a vertical mounting flange for fastening to the foundation wall and a deflector attached to the mounting flange at an angle between 90° and 180°. The flashing is, preferably, made from a single rectangular sheet of aluminum, typically 0.025 inch to 0.100 inch in thickness, by bending the sheet along a fold line that is parallel to one edge of the sheet. Bending the sheet in this fashion forms the mounting flange on one side of the fold line and the deflector on the other side of the fold line and the deflector on the other side of the fold line. The angle formed between the mounting flange and the deflector is, preferably, in the range of 100° to 135°. The height of the mounting flange is, preferably, in the range of one to 3 inches while the deflector is preferably, six to 24 inches in length from the fold line.

The method of the present invention comprises exposing the foundation wall below the grade level by digging or trenching the soil away from the foundation wall to a depth of approximately 6 inches to 24 inches below grade.

Once the foundation wall has been exposed around the perimeter of the structure, lengths of the flashing are fastened to the foundation wall in a continuous manner around the perimeter. Each length of flashing is positioned on the foundation wall such that it is substantially horizontal or level and then fastened to the foundation wall using suitable concrete fasteners. Preferably, the lengths of flashing are fastened using powder-actuated fasteners that are well known to those skilled in the art.

Each subsequent length of flashing is similarly positioned and attached to the foundation wall adjacent to the previously installed length until flashing has been installed along the entire perimeter of the structure. The flashing may come in varying lengths although 10-foot lengths are convenient to handle and provide adequate coverage around a structure with a minimal number of joints. Preferably, each length of flashing is positioned such that it overlaps with the previously installed length of flashing. An overlap of 12 inches to 24 inches is preferable. For additional effectiveness, a pliable sealant, such as silicone caulking, roofing tar or other suitable material, may be applied to the mounting flange prior to being fastened to the foundation wall to ensure a waterproof seal between the mounting flange and the foundation wall.

Once the flashing has been installed, the trench around the structure is then backfilled with soil thereby covering the installed foundation flashing. Preferably, the backfilled soil is then graded away from the foundation to allow surface water to flow away from the structure.

Water saturating the soil surrounding the structure foundation, either due to heavy rains or flooding, seeps down through the soil along the foundation wall until it meets the flashing where it is deflected away from the wall to prevent it from pooling near the bottom of the wall and seeping through the joint between the wall and the basement floor.

According to one aspect of the present invention, a foundation flashing for deflecting liquid from a foundation wall of a structure includes a substantially vertical mounting flange adapted for attachment to a foundation wall, the mounting flange having a lower edge and including a planar deflector having an upper edge operatively attached to the lower edge of the mounting flange whereby the angle formed between the mounting flange and deflector is in the range of 90° to 180°.

According to another aspect of the present invention, liquid is deflected from a foundation wall of a structure by exposing at least a portion of the perimeter of a foundation wall that is below ground level thereby creating a trench of a depth that is suitable for installing a foundation flashing; fastening a length of foundation flashing along the exposed portion of the foundation wall; and backfilling the exposed portion of the foundation wall with soil thereby covering the installed foundation flashing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the foundation flashing apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an exploded side plan view showing the foundation flashing being installed on a foundation wall.

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view showing the foundation flashing being installed on a foundation wall.

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing the foundation flashing being installed on a foundation wall.

FIG. 5 is a side plan view of showing the foundation flashing being installed on a foundation wall.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIG. 1, the flashing apparatus 10 of the present invention is shown. The flashing 10 includes a mounting flange 12 attached to a deflector 14 along a fold line 13. Preferably, the flashing 10 is made from a rectangular sheet of a non-ferrous material, for example aluminum. The flashing 10 may also be made of other durable materials such as non-ferrous metals, fiberglass, PVC plastic or other composite materials that are impervious to water as are known to those skilled in the art. Preferably, the flashing 10 is made from a sheet of aluminum 0.025 inch to 0.100 inch in thickness. The sheet is bent along fold line 13 which is parallel to the longitudinal edges of the sheet.

Bending the flashing 10 along the fold line 13 forms an angle 16. The angle 16 is in the range of 90° to 180°. Preferably, the angle 16 is in the range of 100° to 135°. The flashing 10 is sized such that the mounting flange 12 is 1 inch to 3 inches in length whereas deflector 14 is 6 inches to 24 inches in length.

Referring to FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, installation of the flashing 10 requires digging soil 24 away from the foundation wall 18 to create a trench 22. Preferably, the trench 22 is 6 inches to 24 inches in depth and sufficiently wide enough to allow the installation of the flashing 10 on the wall 18. A length of flashing 10 is positioned on the wall 18 below the grade line 25 of soil 24 such that the flashing 10 is horizontal or level. The flashing 10 is then fastened to the wall 18 by using fasteners 20 that are driven through the mounting flange 12. To speed the installation of the flashing 10, powder-actuated fasteners, such as those made by Hilti, Inc. of Tulsa, Okla., U.S.A. or equivalent, are used.

Because the surface of wall 18 can be uneven, a pliable sealant 26 may be applied to the mounting flange 12 prior to being fastened to the wall 18 to ensure a continuous seal between the flashing 10 and wall 18. The sealant 26 may be silicone-based caulking, roofing tar or an equivalent sealant suitable for below ground installation. Additional lengths of flashing 10 are then installed adjacent to the previously installed flashing, thus providing overlapping sections of flashing around the perimeter of the structure. Once the flashing 10 has been installed, soil 24 is then backfield into the trench 22 up to the grade line 25, thereby covering the flashing 10 with soil 24.

As shown in FIG. 5, when soil 24 becomes saturated with water due to heavy rains or flooding, water 32 seeps down into soil 24 until it reaches the deflector 14. Water 32 then flows down deflector 14 away from wall 18. This prevents water 32 from pooling at the bottom of the wall 18 where it meets with the basement floor 28 and, subsequently, seeping up through joint 30 between wall 18 and floor 28.

Although a preferred embodiment has been shown and described, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications might be made without departing from the scope of the invention. The terms and expressions in the preceding specification have been used therein as terms of description and not of limitation. 

1. A method for deflecting liquid from a foundation wall of a structure, the method comprising the steps: a) exposing at least a portion of the perimeter of a foundation wall that is below ground level, thereby creating a trench of a depth that is suitable for installing a length of foundation flashing; b) fastening a length of foundation flashing along an exposed portion of the foundation wall; and c) backfilling the exposed portion of the foundation wall with soil, thereby covering the installed foundation flashing.
 2. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the flashing is formed from a single piece of sheet material that is bent along a fold line traversing the sheet material whereby a portion of the sheet material on one side of the fold line forms a mounting flange and a portion of the sheet material on the other side of the fold line forms a deflector that projects transversely relative to the mounting flange, further comprising the step: attaching the mounting flange onto the foundation wall so that the deflector projects outwardly away from and slopes downwardly relative to the foundation wall.
 3. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the exposing step is performed until the trench depth is in the range of 6 inches to 24 inches below ground level.
 4. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the foundation flashing includes a mounting flange portion adapted for attachment to a foundation wall and a deflector portion integrally formed with the mounting flange portion, further including the step: bending the reflector portion relative to the mounting flange portion along a fold line so that the deflector portion projects transversely relative the mounting flange portion at an angle in the range of 90° to 180°.
 5. The method as set out in claim 1, further comprising the step of applying a pliable sealant to the mounting flange prior to fastening the mounting flange to a foundation wall.
 6. The method as set forth in claim 1, further comprising repeating steps a) through c) until multiple sections of foundation flashing have been installed on the foundation wall in a continuous manner.
 7. The method as set forth in claim 6, including the step of overlapping end portions of adjacent lengths of foundation flashing.
 8. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the step of fastening a length of foundation flashing to a foundation wall is performed by using powder-actuated fasteners. 